BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D., announced the successful proposer, James Construction Group, LLC, for the design-build project that will widen Interstate 10 from four to six lanes east of Highland Road to LA 73. The contract execution and notice to proceed is expected by mid-August 2017, with construction beginning early 2018.

"Today is another demonstration of how DOTD can deliver meaningful enhancements to our transportation system when we have the dollars to do it," said DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson. "This project has major benefits to the State and I am proud to be delivering it in this innovative and efficient manner."

The design-build process allows a designer and contractor to bid and collaborate on the project together, resulting in quicker project completion. The design-build method expedites the project delivery process, making projects “shovel-ready” faster and successfully meeting aggressive funding and delivery schedules. For this project, DOTD actually enhanced the efficiency of design-build procurement by pursuing Request for Qualifications (RFQ) concurrently with issuance of the draft Request for Proposals (RFP).

The $72 million project is being funded by a combination of federal and state funds, including use of over $40 million in congressionally authorized repurposed earmarks. The original cost estimate for the project was $60 million, but was increased and capped at $72 million to maximize the future utility of Highland Road. Improvements to Highland Road are unfunded and not a component of this project.

"We are moving the boundaries of innovation to deliver important projects for Louisiana, but this project is only one of many that are desperately needed to enhance the I-10 freight corridor," said Governor John Bel Edwards. "Our financial means are very limited compared to our need, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to deliver what we can."

"The reality is that major enhancements like this I-10 project will be very limited moving forward due to the current revenues for transportation," said Wilson. "Waiting to invest results in more needs, more expensive project costs, and an overall lower quality of life for Louisiana citizens."

The James Construction Group, LLC proposal was for a price of $72 million. The project will take approximately 2.5 years and includes the widening I-10 from four lanes to six lanes west of Highland Road to the LA 73 interchange, as well as the replacement of the LA 42 overpass structures.